On August 13, the Commission for Arts and Culture met to discuss its work plan for 2024-2025. This plan includes five projects that the Commission will prioritize in the coming months and for which it will use the majority of its budget. Each point reflects the Commission’s mission to increase awareness and visibility of arts and culture and to promote arts and culture activities.
At the meeting, Recreation Services Manager Matthew Brown presented the proposed work plan as a continuation of the July meeting, including items that will be a continuing priority beginning in 2023-2024. These items are Acquisition of Fine Art, which is considered a core function of the Commission, the Beverly Hills Festival, an initiative supported by the City Council, the Artwalk, which the Commissioners decided not to eliminate after much discussion, and the Visitor Kiosk/Art Portal, which were combined into one item to leave room for a new item on the work plan. While these work plan items are the highest priority and take up most of the Commission’s budget, the Commissioners are also busy with other events throughout the year, such as Music in the Mansion, Concerts on Canon, the Spring and Fall Art Exhibits, Jewish American Heritage Month, and the Día de Los Muertos celebrations.
With room for another priority, commission members had the opportunity to submit proposals before the August 13 meeting. Those items were then voted on by the full commission. Chair Karla Gordy Bristol proposed an annual Beverly Hills Arts and Culture Awards ceremony to honor influential members of the city’s arts community. Each year would focus on a different theme to highlight artists and diverse cultures. She also suggested an arts and culture venue to highlight love and kindness in the community. This would be a sustainable public space with artistic structures, exhibits and images.
At the meeting, Bristol added two new proposals, stating that the performing arts were on all commissioners’ radar in the coming year. First, she proposed building a performing arts pavilion, which would be the only permanent outdoor performing arts venue in the city. During discussion, it was suggested that this pavilion be built in the Greystone Mansion, as the space is already used for many community performances. Her second proposal was to hold temporary art exhibits on cultural holidays in the city of Beverly Hills. These exhibits would be held in the hallways or foyers of existing buildings. Commissioner Maralee Beck supported Bristol’s idea, adding that these exhibits could replace the expensive art installations in subway stations.
In a proposal submitted before the meeting, Vice Chair Pamela Beck proposed a comprehensive partnership with the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts called “Movies at The Wallis.” This program would offer various series showcasing films by Beverly Hills directors and those shot in the Los Angeles area. Pamela recommended showing a series of noir films that portray art and culture in local history. As she explained, this partnership would be easy to implement because the Wallis already hosts a number of community events throughout the year. “Making this an actual work schedule item seems like a win for the whole city,” she said. Pamela is also on the Wallis board, which she said would make the process easier.
During a discussion at the meeting, Maralee Beck supported her proposal, adding that the program should include more than just movies. “I think it’s important that we start something like this out of our own pride in what made Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, and that would be the songwriters, the musicians, the dancers, a lot of the things we want to bring to the historical aspect of the kiosk,” she said.
After all proposals were presented, commissioners voted anonymously on their favorites. Three of the commissioners present voted for the comprehensive partnership with The Wallis as the top priority, and one commissioner voted for the Performing Arts Pavilion. As a result, Bristol, Pamela Beck, Maralee Beck and Commissioner Deborah Frank voted to include the partnership with The Wallis in the 2024-2025 work plan. This work plan will be presented to City Council for consideration at a future meeting. The proposals not selected as part of the work plan may still be on the table as smaller projects at a later date.
